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The Decline of Empathy

It is a given that it is declining in our society. Why are young people caring less and less about others?

This society is one that values hardness and lack of compassion. In fact as I have aged, the growing coldness of society is something I find harder and harder to cope with. While at times I am pleasantly surprised by nice people out in the world, we know something is changing far for the worse. My fellowship with Christians is some escape from it in this world, but many of you probably have seen this too....

1. Everything is about winning. Losers deserve to suffer is the whole message. Winning is the only thing that counts. Among the cold battling it out, everything is a competition, and other human beings are seen as people to "get over on" and to squash. Isn't that what Hunger Games was made to brainwash young people with? A kind of "kill" or be "killed" ethos? Toddlers used to be taught to "share" but the adults aren't providing much of an example. With these mentalities, the win at all costs messages kills compassion. It simply makes other human beings your competition. Winning in American society means "being hard" and giving no place to others, thusly far less empathy.

2. The standards of what makes a "good" person have been twisted. Character is out the door and everything is about bean counter standards of perfect cholesterol scores, fit bodies, high fashion, and being the best worker bee. I've written about the carrot on stick mentalities, but most are following those and judge those who have not accepted the rat race ethos as being deficient. Everyone wants to work on their own personal bucket list. Who cares about Empathy when you are busy crawling up the mountain and knocking the people you see as obstacles out of your way?

3. Everything is your fault! If something bad happens to you, contrary to the Bibles teaching that it rains on the just and unjust, lost people who have pushed such theological lies as KARMA, have taught the general populace that misfortune means you did something wrong. This can range from poverty even to severe illness like cancer. This of course goes along with the false positive thinking nonsense. If people believe that those who have good things all deserve them and all the poor, sick, disabled, or other down and out people made "bad decisions", empathy is crushed under people who judge wrongly.

Being real in American society often means opening yourself up to some types who think they are superior to everyone else.

4. Softer emotions are disdained. I have noticed a huge increase in the growing superficiality in American culture as I have aged. No one wants to appear "weak". Tears are to be hidden. Troubles to be shoved out the door and a false plastic face put on. One sad thing is that softer emotions are being ousted out the door as hearts growing harder. It is impossible for people to care about others in the right way and to show empathy if they are allowing their hearts to be frozen. It is impossible to care if no one knows anything that is really happening in the secret-keeping world among the non-empathetic.

Any vulnerabilities to some seem to be a "red flag" to go on the attack. One thing when you are around those who prey on "weakness", they remain strangers because they aren't going to be sharing their troubles or weak spots with you! Boring small talk predominates as everything is about how "perfect" someone is and how they have measured up.

5. Our communities are breaking up. Social disconnection is impacting empathy in a very negative fashion. Social life in America is dying. Even if you have friends, the extensive networks that used to bolster up life are disappearing. Too many conduct their social lives via the screen more then in the real world anymore especially in a world where everyone moves away.

Lack of empathy is how the right side of the New World Order got to play their games of giving more power to the bankers and elite in society. This is why they could name the poor or other groups as the "enemy" your average Republican confessing Christian could see as the "fault" of all that is wrong in this country instead of understanding how the wicked were cleaning out the tills. Instead of listening to Jesus Christ about love and compassion, they listen to politicians. Don't think I'm giving the left any excuses, their growing coldness and lack of empathy advanced abortion and many other evil things.

Empathy is being lost in this world. The Bible does not use the word EMPATHY but I believe COMPASSION is a close runner. It speaks of loving others too. What does it mean to be compassionate but to put yourself in another person's shoes? More and more in our narcissistic society this is becoming less and less.

I have to face my own times where I may lack of empathy and confront my own sins but I do worry, about the growing hardness out there. There's too many people who seem proud of their hardness. They want to crush those they see as "weaker". If I see someone acting like that, it does lead me to question where they are truly coming from. That is life for the children of the father of lies, not for the children of God.

1 Peter 3:8King James Version (KJV)
8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: